Is it possible to find presence of lactose in pharmaceuticals? - Preliminary studies by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Lactose and saccharose have the same molecular formula; however, the arrangement of their atoms is different. A major difference between lactose and saccharose with regard to digestion and processing is that it is not uncommon for individuals to be lactose intolerant (around two thirds of the population has a limited ability to digest lactose after infancy), but it is rather unlikely to be saccharose intolerant. The pharmaceutical industry uses lactose and saccharose as inactive ingredients of drugs to help form tablets because of their excellent compressibility properties. Some patients with severe lactose intolerance may experience symptoms of many allergic reactions after taking medicine that contains this substance. People who are specifically "allergic" to lactose (not just lactose intolerant) should not use tablets containing this ingredient. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has a unique chemical fingerprinting capability and plays a significant important role in the identification and characterization of analyzed samples and hence has been widely used in pharmaceutical science. However, a typical FTIR spectrum collected from tablets contains a myriad of valuable information hidden in a family of tiny peaks. Powerful multivariate spectral data processing can transform FTIR spectroscopy into an ideal tool for high volume, rapid screening and characterization of even minor tablet components. In this paper a method for distinction between FTIR spectra collected for tablets with or without lactose is presented. The results seem to indicate that the success of identifying one component in FTIR spectra collected for pharmaceutical composition (that is tablet) is largely dependent on the choice of the chemometric technique applied.

The pituitary gland under infrared light - in search of a representative spectrum for homogeneous regions.

The pituitary gland is a small but vital organ in the human body. It is located at the base of the brain and is often described as the master gland due to its multiple functions. The pituitary gland secretes and stores hormones, such as the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), growth hormone (hGH), prolactin, gonadotropins, and luteinizing hormones, as well as the antidiuretic hormone (ADH). A proper diagnosis of pituitary disorders is of utmost importance as this organ participates in regulating a variety of body functions. Typical histopathological analysis provides much valuable information, but it gives no insight into the biochemical background of the changes that occur within the gland. One approach that could be used to evaluate the biochemistry of tissue sections obtained from pituitary disorders is Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectromicroscopy. In order to collect diagnostically valuable information large areas of tissue must be investigated. This work focuses on obtaining a unique and representative FTIR spectrum characteristic of one type of cell architecture within a sample. The idea presented is based on using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for data evaluation to search for uniform patterns within samples from the perspective of FTIR spectra. The results obtained demonstrate that FTIR spectromicroscopy, combined with proper statistical evaluation, can be treated as a complementary method for histopathological analysis and ipso facto can increase the sensitivity and specificity for detecting various disorders not only for the pituitary gland, but also for other human tissues.

Neoplastic disorders of prostate glands in the light of synchrotron radiation and multivariate statistical analysis.

The prostate gland is the most common site of neoplastic disorders in men. The pathogenesis of inflammatory cells, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions, and prostate cancer is still under investigation. Inflammatory cells by producing free radicals are considered as major and universal contributors to cancerogenesis. PIN is regarded as a precursor lesion to prostate cancer or a marker signaling the vulnerability of the epithelium to neoplastic transformation [1]. Differentiation markers that are frequently changed in early invasive carcinoma are also changed in PIN lesions. In this study, prostate tissue samples obtained during surgical operation and classified as various disease states (inflammation, PIN lesions, and cancer) were examined. The samples were measured by means of microbeam synchrotron-radiation-induced X-ray emission (micro-SRIXE). Special attention was paid to examine the relationship between the earlier-mentioned disorders and changes in relative concentrations of S, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn. Applying the image-processing program ImageJ enabled us to select the areas of interest from two-dimensional maps of various prostate samples according to the histopathologist's evaluation. Detailed analysis of micro-SRIXE spectra based on multivariate methods shows significant differences between elemental concentrations in inflammatory cells, PIN lesions, and cancerous tissues, which confirms that this method can be used to distinguish various pathological states in prostate tissues. Information obtained in this way may provide better understanding of the biochemistry of unhealthy prostate tissues, thus opening the way to find new medicines/treatments to prevent or slow down some harmful intracellular processes.

Correlation of concentrations of selected trace elements with Gleason grade of prostate tissues.

The causes of prostate cancer are still obscure but some evidence indicates that there is a close connection between several trace elements and processes which may lead to malignant cells. In our study the microbeam synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence emission (micro-SRIXE) technique was applied for quantitative analysis of selected elements. For the first time, we correlate the concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn with the clinical stage of the prostate cancer at the time of operation (described by Gleason grade). Serial sections of prostate tissues were collected from patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. One section, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, was prepared for histopathological analysis; a second, adjacent unstained section was used in micro-SRIXE experiments. All experiments were performed at beamline L at HASYLAB, DESY, Germany. Our results seem to be valuable in light of the determination of the changes in the concentrations of trace elements as a potential diagnostic marker and their etiological involvement in the different stages of prostate diseases.

[Functional evaluation of the prostatic urethra by means of transrectal ultrasound]. / Czynnosciowa ocena odcinka sterczowego cewki moczowej za pomoca ultrasonografii przezodbytniczej.

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is the popular tool in the diagnostics of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) mainly visualizing the static image of prostate with closed urethra. The aim of this study was to observe the changes of the shapes and dimensions of prostatic urethra during micturition using transrectal probe, with simultaneous uroflowmetry. 174 men were examined. 58 of them (aged 20-40 y.) non obstructed--control group, 57 (aged 41-60 y.) and 59 (aged 61-80 y.) with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) symptoms. TRUS with videorecording in upright position was done. Simultaneously uroflowmetry was performed. Maximal dimensions of the cross-sections of the prostatic urethra in sagittal plane were taken on two levels. First at the bladder neck (S1, mm), second in the middle of the prostatic urethra (S2, mm). The relations between dimensions and uroflowmetry were analyzed using also the average of the sum od S1 and S2 (S3 mm). The average dimension of S1 and S2 decreased with age from 6.3 and 7.0 mm in control group, to 5.1 and 4.5 mm in patients over the age of 60. The average of S3 decreased from 13.3 to 9.5 mm. In all groups statistically significant relations between maximal flow rate (Qmax) and S1, S2 were noted (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05). Particularly strong relations between Qmax and S3 were stated (p < 0.0001). On the base of these results the nomograms were created which allow to calculate the approximate Qmax basing on the prostatic urethra cross dimension. The TRUS measurement of the prostatic urethra cross sections during micturition allows to calculate approximately the Qmax, especially on the base of S3. The observation of the changes of the shapes and dimensions of the prostatic urethra during micturition will make easier to localize and state the character of BOO. The low Qmax with simultaneous correct cross dimensions of the prostatic urethra can suggest the detrusor insufficiency.

Effect of sciatic denervation on cell-mediated immunity.

Local semiallogenic graft-versus-host (GvH) and host-versus-graft (HvG) reactions were induced in mice whose right hind limbs had been partially denervated surgically. The denervation was performed by removing a 2 mm segment of the sciatic nerve, while sham-operated and non-operated mice served as controls. Eight days after denervation the mice were injected with spleen cells from a 3-month-old C57BL female, or from (C57xCBA)F1 male mice, and the GvH and HvG reactions were evaluated, 7 or 10 days later, by quantitatively estimating the weight (enlargement) of the popliteal lymph-nodes. Significant weight increases of 51% (for the GvH reaction) and 63% (for the HvG reaction) were observed in the denervated mice, when compared to the sham-operated ones. This increased cell-type reactivity in a denervated limbs seems to be related to the immunostimulatory activity of cytokines which are released by cells engaged in repair processes of damaged nerves, as well as related to the reduction of the immunosuppressive effect of noradrenergic innervation in the denervated animals.